-2019 NFL Schedule -Strength of Schedule
MOCK DRAFT
Ask the Commish.Com 2019 Draft Kit
The Bills signed Tyler Kroft as a free agent from Cincinnati this offseason to bolster their tight end group, and he could open the season as the starter if healthy. He suffered a broken foot in May during OTAs, and his availability for Week 1 could be in doubt. The Bills also spent a third-round pick in the NFL Draft on rookie Dawson Knox and have Jason Croom and Lee Smith on the depth chart, although Smith is more of a blocker. If healthy, Kroft should start and be a primary weapon for Josh Allen. But Kroft will have to prove himself first before Fantasy players can trust him. He's not worth drafting in most leagues, and make sure he's healthy in training camp before considering him as a streaming option.
Matt LaCosse heads to New England this season, where he's expected to compete for the starting tight end job in place of the retired Rob Gronkowski. His main competition will come from Benjamin Watson, Austin Seferian-Jenkins and Stephen Anderson. None of those tight ends will produce like Gronkowski -- maybe collectively. But LaCosse is someone to monitor in training camp in case he emerges as the starting tight end and a valuable weapon for Tom Brady. LaCosse has never been a standout receiver, and his best production came in 2018 with the Broncos. Still, in 14 games, he had just one with double digits in PPR points. Only if he's the starting tight end in New England should he be drafted with a late-round pick in deeper leagues, although that seems like a longshot with Watson and Seferian-Jenkins on the roster.
Demetrius Harris signed with the Browns this offseason, and he's expected to be the No. 2 tight end behind David Njoku. With all the weapons in Cleveland (Odell Beckham, Jarvis Landry, Njoku, Antonio Callaway and quality running backs out of the backfield), it's doubtful Harris will make much of an impact on Fantasy rosters. He also has never had more than 18 catches, 225 yards or three touchdowns in any of his previous five seasons in Kansas City. Ignore him in most leagues on Draft Day.
Geoff Swaim could end up as the No. 1 tight end in Jacksonville this season after he signed with the Jaguars in March. However, Swaim is known for his blocking and not his receiving prowess since he had just nine catches in his first three NFL seasons before getting 26 last year in Dallas. He also has one career touchdown. And Swaim will have to prove he's better than rookie tight end Josh Oliver, who could be a superior receiving option. Even if Swaim is the starter in Jacksonville, ignore him in most leagues on Draft Day.
Jesse James signed a nice deal with the Lions, but that was before they drafted T.J. Hockenson with a first-round pick. Now James figures to find himself in a familiar role: backup. Until that changes, there's no reason to believe he'll be a sleeper.
The tight end position in Fantasy Football is terrible, and Cook was one of the few good options in 2018. Now he's getting a major quarterback upgrade with his move to the New Orleans Saints. Drew Brees hasn't targeted the tight end much recently, but that's mostly because they haven't had a good one since Jimmy Graham left. Cook should follow up his 2018 with another top-10 season and he may even score more touchdowns. Another reason Brees hasn't targeted his tight ends much is because he has Michael Thomas and Alvin Kamara. Those two accounted for 49% of the Saints total targets in 2018. Ben Watson was third on the team with just 46. Cook will have red-zone opportunities, but he won't sniff the 101 targets he saw last year. He's a fine late-round option to settle on, but nothing more.
Charles Clay signed in Arizona this offseason, and he will compete with Ricky Seals-Jones for playing time. We'll see if Clay can emerge as the starter, but he's been a Fantasy flop since going to Buffalo in 2015. Keep an eye on his role in training camp, but Clay is not worth drafting in most leagues. In 2018, Clay had no games with double digits in PPR points.
Austin Seferian-Jenkins will try to latch on to the Patriots roster and, in a perfect world, replace Rob Gronkowski. Yeah, that sounds kinda silly, but at 6-foot-5 and 262 pounds, Seferian-Jenkins offers a Gronk-sized target for Tom Brady to throw at. He's coming off an injury-plagued season, has never been a touchdown machine over his five years in the NFL and must compete with Benjamin Watson for playing time. Normally, any opportunity in the Patriots offense is a good one, but with competition for targets and a less-than-stellar track record keep Seferian-Jenkins from being a useful Fantasy pick. Take a wait-and-see approach with Seferian-Jenkins.